A very English drop
Sarah Miller finds there is dogged determination among those behind England’s whisky industry…
It seems whisky producers everywhere are struggling with declining demand alongside rising production costs and increased tariffs, but with global brands busy attempting to mitigate the damage and safeguard their futures, there could be an opportunity for new world whisky to steal the limelight.
Reports from traditional whisky producing regions make miserable reading right now. In the States, Suntory has paused production at its main James B. Beam distillery, as has Diageo at two distilleries. In Ireland, the Powerscourt and Waterford distilleries have entered receivership, while Midleton and Tullamore have scaled back output. And in Scotland at least three distilleries and two maltings have cut production, with reports that one in five Scotch distilleries are in financial distress.
Of course, new world whisky is not immune to the challenges. In Wales, Penderyn halted production at their £15million Swansea Distillery just a year after opening, while England’s Spirit of Manchester and Yorkshire Distilling have both closed permanently with their own spirit still maturing in casks.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. In 2024, there were around 50 English whisky distilleries, of which half had mature whisky; today there are 50 brands selling English whisky and about 70 distilleries laying down casks. Meanwhile, the total production capacity of England’s whisky distilleries has risen from 2.1 million litres per year to around 5 million litres, with maturing casks now worth an estimated £1 billion according to The English Whisky Guild.
“English whisky can’t compete on quantity or price point, so producers instead focus on quality and provenance.”
English whiskies are also winning some serious awards: in 2024 The English Distillery’s Sherry Cask was declared the World’s Best Single Malt, while White Peak Distillery’s Wire Works Bourbon Cask was the first English entry to win Whisky of the Year at The Whisky Exchange Awards 2026. Such success, alongside events like English Whisky Week, help to raise awareness and fuel consumer interest, resulting in increased distillery visits and sales.
Yorkshire’s award-winning and super sustainable Cooper King even sold out of all 11 whiskies they ever produced just before Christmas. Co-Founder Chris Jaume says this is thanks to loyal customers who feel “more like family”, as well as working with the right retailers, but there are other factors.
Like most English whisky producers Cooper King is small, producing just 4,000 bottles last year. Their scale not only makes them more accessible and relatable to their customers, but also gives them the advantage of agility. English whisky can’t compete on quantity or price point, so producers instead focus on quality and provenance, but not to the detriment of innovation and differentiation.
While English whisky’s proposed Geographical Indication states it must be made from UK grain and matured in England, it does allow distilleries to partner with local breweries to make mashes, and for maturation in wooden casks other than oak.
The category is also showing signs of maturity with a wave of age statement whiskies released. These include Rosemaund Farm Distillery’s inaugural 10-year-old single malt (which comes with a celebrity endorsement in the form of filmmaker and minority stakeholder Guy Ritchie), London’s first 10-year-old single malt from the revived London Distillery Company, and The English Distillery’s 18-year-old Cask 001 which sold out despite its hefty £3,000 price tag.
A new category is emerging too: driven by community tastings, Woven Whisky released the first 100% English blended whisky in April 2025. Featuring six whiskies, Pastures New was created to capture the vibrancy and diversity of the English scene and sold out in record time. More blends have launched since, including Compass Box’s limited edition Scot-Free, a bottle of which has already sold at auction for a whopping £5,600.
With the category now encompassing everything from promising new make spirit to multiple double-digit age statement bottlings, this is an exciting and pivotal time for the industry. The English Whisky Guild will be eager to achieve approval for their Geographical Indication to secure the future of English whisky and protect what makes it special.
Sarah Miller is a UK-based spirits writer, judge and consultant.
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